RSVP
by HecateA
Summary: In which Jason is sure that Reyna can't read. That or she just purposefully ignores the RSVP on invitations. Oneshot.


**Things to know about this oneshot: 1) It's been laying around forever. 2) Ergo it is a Jeyna piece. I was too lazy to change that. Please deal with it. 3) Since it was written before House of Hades, some details may seem a bit off. This piece may even have been written before Mark of Athena... I don't know, but please ignore the parts where the story doesn't work with the HoO series. Please and thank you! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. **

**Dedication: To Crossoverpairinglover (who wanted a Jason/Thalia oneshot and made me remember that this old thing existed)**

* * *

**RSVP**

Shouldered by Percy, Annabeth and Reyna Jason felt more confident than he ever had during this whole war. But that meant nothing, and…

"We need a bigger army," Percy voiced, beating Jason to the comment.

"Bigger? We worked _so hard_ on recruitment. This is the biggest army we can possibly muster." Reyna said.

"But it's not enough," Jason said. "You didn't see Gaia's army. Every legionnaire and half-blood and nature spirit here will be outnumbered 10 to 1."

"And those ten months can't die unless Hazel, Frank and Valdez are making miracles happen as we speak." Percy added helpfully.

"They're all ready to fight and they have the emotions and adrenaline that monsters are scientifically proven not to have." Annabeth said.

"Which is why we're not counting ourselves doomed just yet," Percy said.

"Doomed? Jackson, is that you running your mouth about _doomed?"_

The second they spun around, the silver clothes and metallic arrowheads caught Jason's eye. He melted with relief.

"Thalia," he said. The Hunters. Perfect, perfect, perfect- that random nymph _had _been able to get the message across after all.

"Sorry we're a little late, little brother," Thalia grinned. "Did we give you a scare?"

_"_Not if you'd RSVP'd you wouldn't have," Jason said. For the first time he felt hopeful about the battle to come.

* * *

"Hey," Jason said sitting down next to his sister. Her legs were dangling off the cliff. He'd known she'd be here from the second the hunters had swarmed him and demanded for Thalia's location. He'd talked to her _a lot_ this remote New Rome spot, after all.

"Hey," she said. She turned around to look at Jason and then sighed and rolled her eyes.

"What? What did I do?" he asked.

She ripped a piece of her shredded silver jacket, dunked the canteen hooked to her waist on it, and rubbed his cheek.

"Thals!" He said swatting her hand away.

"You are _bleeding,_ Jason Grace, and you have not fixed it yet, and you won't until you fix everyone else, so someone has to…"

He swatted her hand again and got to his feet, sprinting off when she tried again.

* * *

Reyna was just walking innocently in the fort with Percy and Annabeth, talking about when the Greeks would go back home, and which cohorts would go help cleanse Camp of the monsters that had probably invaded it during their absence. Out of nowhere not one, but two Graces were running for their own sakes.

"This can't be anything good," Annabeth said as the two darted behind them

Jason grabbed onto Reyna's arm, his eyes bright and playful looking at Thalia like 'loser'. Thalia froze in her tracks and looked at Jason like she was going to hurt him.

"What did you do to her?" Reyna asked.

"Because sometimes you just can't hide," Percy said from experience.

"Nothing," Jason said. Reyna rolled her eyes.

"I don't even want to know. And you've still got blood on your cheek by the way," she said. She whipped it off with her thumb and Thalia's hands shot up in victory.

* * *

"That's it, then?" Jason asked. Reyna looked back on the guest list one more time.

"You forgot Thalia," Reyna told him. He could just fake it and say no, but he was surrounded by two of the scariest girls he knew, one of them was his fiancé and the other one was the aren't-you-a-child-of-Aphrodite-and-doesn't-that-m ean-you-have-a-clue wedding planner.

"Yeah, I know," he said uncomfortably.

"So write her name," Piper said helpfully. She didn't know anything about weddings. She just enjoyed the excuse to come over to their apartment where Netflix and free food was easily available. "T-H-A- the 'T' being the one that looks like a stick with the other resting on top…"

"I know," Jason said. "I just… I didn't know if she'd come. Because you know, she's busy with the hunters and even if she was around it's not really her thing. Eternal maiden and all…"

"Oh for gods sake, Reyna are you sure about this one?" Piper asked grabbing a pencil and a spare invitation.

* * *

_The Roman Senate invite you to join the celebration of the marriage of two ex-praetors of proconsular status_

_Jason Grace_

_Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano_

_Saturday, the 10__th__ of June  
2017  
at four o'clock in the afternoon  
The Temple of Jupiter_

_ Reception to follow at the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco_

_The favor of a reply is requested before the 25__th__ of May_

_Request guests to respect the black tie event_

* * *

"What'cha reading?" Maya asked Thalia, setting herself down, cross-legged at the other end of Thalia's sleeping bag.

"Oh, umm… Something from Jason." Thalia said, holding up the square of paper. It was plain white with golden accents everywhere, including that Roman eagle that she saw all over New Rome whenever she set foot in the place, and an adjoining very official picture of Jason and Reyna. Thalia knew for the fact that the background was a war museum they'd visited in Europe.

"What's it about? An invitation? To where?" Maya asked eagerly.

"His wedding," Thalia said simply.

"His wedding?" Maya's eyes sprawled. Weddings were not really a hunter thing, eternal maiden et cetera. Some of them thought it was disastrous. Thalia? Meh. She'd known Reyna well enough to figure that if a guy broke her heart, she'd break his face and was fine on her own in the world. And this wasn't just _a guy_. This was Jason- who knew better than to go around breaking people's hearts (since he was morally in check and would then have to deal with Thalia, Reyna and about twenty other of his kickass friends if he ever did).

Most shocking of all, Thalia was actually _happy _about it.

"Yes. Like, he loves a girl, a girl loves him, make it forever, and so forth and so forth. Except since they both have high Roman status the senate's planning it all out and it's apparently going to be _the schist_." Thalia said. Maybe looked at her like _whoa…_

"And you're _going?_"

"He's my little brother!" Thalia said. "This is a big thing and it's only going to happen once. Of _course _I'm going!"

"Good luck talking Lady Artemis into it."

"I'll be fine. She knows a thing or two about little brothers. And sisters. Like the fact that I'd sneak off anyways." Thalia said.

* * *

After her 'surprise I'm here!' appearance/hitchhike with Percy and Annabeth (in her defence: Nico was doing the same thing), she'd officially assisted to her first wedding (minus the one she, Annabeth and Luke had once crashed/ruined. If there was an Owen and Olivia Power out there, she was very sorry).

Eventually sometime before speeches and dancing and whatever happened at wedding, she'd found Jason among the legionnaires, ex-senators, New Romans, demigods, godlings, nymphs and full-out Olympians. He'd already been separated from Reyna in the crowd- possibly by force (although the idea would want to play that game with Reyna blew her mind away).

She just jumped him and he was so startled by_ who the heck just jumped on my back _that he staggered forth and made her laugh.

"Thalia?" He asked turning around.

"The one and only- thank the gods for you." She said hopping off her back. He turned around and grinned before giving her a hug.

"Congrats, little brother." Thalia said.

"Thanks," he said. He still looked surprised.

"Didn't expect me?"

"Nope."

"Sorry I didn't RSVP. But you should know better than to expect me to miss a milestone in your life, kiddo."

* * *

"This would've looked great if we wouldn't have had enough food for you," Jason said walking Thalia through the airy New Roman house that she'd miraculously found among all its identical neighbors. He was complaining and smiling at the same time. "We were eating take-out last year."

"Don't be ridiculous," Reyna said from the kitchen. "We always set an extra spot for your sister just in case."

"Yeah, and she always fills it," Jason grins.

"I don't even need to call anymore," Thalia said. "Perfect!"

* * *

_Join us in surprising the light out of Reyna Grace (and also pulling the very first demigodly baby shower in a long, long time)_

_June 29__th__ 2019 at 2:00 pm_

_1345 Calliope Street_

_RSVP Annabeth Chase 814-754-0108, or Piper McLean 814-095-2858_

_Ps- She'd kill us if she knew, so not a word_

* * *

Thalia was poking at the coals when the air shimmered around her- in the dead of night- and Percy's face appeared, scaring the wits out of her.

"What the heck Jackson- you're not supposed to- I'm not supposed to talk to boys!" Thalia said.

"Told'ja," Annabeth's voice offered in the background.

"Okay, fine, don't thank me for thinking of calling you to say that your sister-in-law's in the hospital."

Thalia froze and tried to calculate time.

"It's only been 8 months."

"Yeah, well, gods know that the child of two demigods is probably ADHD and couldn't wait to get out." Percy said. "'Frisco General Hospital according to Hazel."

In one of those appreciate-it-because-this-kind-of-coincidence-is- not-happening-again moments, Thalia realised she was around Vegas.

"I'm in Vegas," she said.

"Well, get to 'Frisco, it's close enough." Percy said.

"Is everything okay?" Thalia checked. "And isn't Hazel in New Orleans? How the hell does she know?"

"Don't question this kid," Percy said. "Just accept the fact she hears things through ghosts."

"I've just go to go… Got to go talk to Artemis," Thalia promised before cutting the Iris Message and running to the largest tent where one girl lived but nobody ever slept.

* * *

"I don't know if it's Grace or Ramirez Arellano," Thalia told the hospital receptionist. The lady looked up and signed Thalia's name, giving her a pass, pointed towards where she had to go, et cetera.

Thalia found her way fine and knocked on an open door after watching through. Reyna was asleep, a baby wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Jason was sitting right next, a hand holding hers.

He turned around, a hand by instinct to his pocket. He relaxed when he saw her and smiled, but he was obviously exhausted; it looked like he hadn't slept in a bit.

"Hey," he said. He was also obviously happy as well. Mixed in with the fatigue, he looked like he'd just gotten his wisdom teeth removed again.

"Hey to you later, I came to see the kid." Thalia joked. He was so much taller and stronger than her now, it was weird when she gave him a hug.

"How are you?" She whispered.

"Okay." Jason said. "So far. I survived round 1 of badass girlpower sisters."

"Hylla was here? Well, it's easier for the Amazon queen to beat me to it- they can do pretty much what they want." Thalia said.

"She was here before Rey fell asleep, then she had to go back."

"How is she?" Thalia asked nudging her head towards Reyna.

"Fine, and done swearing at me."

"And baby?"

"He's small, but they say it's just because he's premature. Other than that he's healthy." Jason said, sounding pretty relieved.

"Does he have a name yet?"

"Not really. It was supposed to be a girl." Jason said.

"That'd be _his _genetics wreaking havoc," Reyna muttered. Jason turned back to her and touched her cheek. She opened her eyes and looked immediately back to the baby in her arms. She looked clammy to Thalia. Of course it wasn't news to her that people who'd just given birth usually didn't look that great, but there was something there that she couldn't put her finger on…

"Gods of Olympus," she muttered. Thalia was thinking similar, but it was a different _gods of Olympus._ It was a 'my brother's an adult, he's married, he has a job, and now a son'. Jason squeezed Reyna's hand and his fingers touched the little boy's cheek.

Thalia might have RSVP'd to Percy but she knew that right now, it was a moment that she wasn't invited to.

So she slipped out.

* * *

It was a day or two after, and Thalia was streaking through the forest, on the heels of a silver arrow and a doe with piranha teeth. She'd sent Phoebe and the other girls after a group of the shark-Bambi creatures.

The mist shimmered next to her for the second time in two days. That was bad, even scary. Her first outside of the Hunt didn't call Thalia often, they let her come around when she came around. She was only called when serious things happened.

Annabeth's pale face told her that something _had_ happened.

"Annabeth, what's up?" She asked, trying not to ask 'who died?'

"It's Reyna." Annabeth said shaking her head. "She's… Thalia, you've got to come…"

* * *

_Family and friends are sad to announce the death of Major Reyna Ramirez Arellano of the US infantry, on July 14__th__ 2019 in post-natal complications. Join in mourning on July 16__th__, 2019 at 10:00 a.m., San Francisco._

-SF Gates, San Francisco's newspaper

* * *

Thalia took Jason's hand. He squeezed it back, but didn't acknowledge her in any other way. Usually Jason was the best for public speaking, he could always find the words to make people better and more determined and stronger. Now he could barely prop himself up.

"Andrew's fine," she told him.

"Thanks," Jason said. "Who's he with?"

"I handed him off to Percy and Annabeth before coming to find you," Thalia said. Jason nodded and Thalia squeezed his hand.

"You're being strong. Nobody expects it from you, nobody wants it from you." Thalia said.

"She would." Jason said.

Thalia dropped his hand, stood on her toes so she could put her two hands on his shoulders.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind. She's gone, and she knew how much you loved her."

That seemed to be his breaking point, and Thalia sat him down. He held his head in his hands, trying to catch a breath he'd never have again, and Thalia just sat next to him, trying to be a sister.

"You're okay Jason, you're not alone… I'm here for you…" Jason said. He shook a little less, but Thalia could still tell he was haunted.

Who was going to take care of Andrew when Jason was deployed? Who was going to be a mother to Andrew? Who was going to give him advice about girls and make him snap out of his masculine insanity and do all those other things that mothers were specifically meant for? She could nearly read his thoughts, asking why this happened, how the future would go, how he was going to do to make it work…

Thalia's sister instincts came when they were called, they emerged from the ones related to the Hunt. And this- seeing her brother, older than her, been through everything, strong as a wall struggle not to cry- was enough for them to show up.

* * *

_It's a double birthday party!_

_Andrew Grace is turning 4_

_Jenifer Jackson is turning 3_

_1:00-3:00, July 12__th_

_Turntable Crescent, San Francisco _

* * *

The hospital had been unsure whether or not to let Jason keep Andrew after Reyna died. Cases of single parents drowning or hitting their kids were a freakily common occurrence, and this had brought angst down if Thalia had ever seen it. They weren't sure how Jason would react to losing his wife and being left with a baby, nor of how his job would factor into that. But now, looking over the fence to where Jason was racing with a little dark haired blue eyed boy, running slower than he ever would have for anybody else, just to give the kid a chance to escape… Thalia couldn't believe there had ever been a doubt.

She swung her legs over the fence and jumped down, absorbing the shock perfectly. She wished she could've just watched both of them run for some more, but Jason heard her and stopped running for a second. He smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked. Andrew saw the stranger and cowered behind Jason's legs.

"Not a 'hey'?" Thalia asked. "Or whatever people say now, I don't know."

"Hey," Jason said hugging her.

"Auntie Thalia?" Andrew asked recognising her.

"Sure is Andrew," she said. He waddled over for a hug. "Wow, you're so tall now..."

He nodded proudly.

"And you're two years old right?" Thalia said.

"No!"

"No?" Thalia said. "Hmm… Three, then."

"Jenifer's three." Andrew said.

"Oh, that's right. So you're… four?"

Andrew nodded.

"Wow!" Thalia said. "You'll be taller than your daddy before you know it!"

Andrew looked up at Jason as if to check on the implied height of that, and smiled brightly.

"I'm already taller than Jen."

"You're already taller than Jen?" Thalia said. "Wow."

"Speaking of Jen kiddo, do you think you could go get her? And Uncle Percy and Auntie Annabeth," Jason said. "They'll be excited to see Auntie Thalia, don't you think?"

Andrew nodded and ran off to the house. Jason watched him waddle off. His chest strained his t-shirt. His arms were thick as always. His head was propped up high. Her brother didn't snap from soldier or military officer to father like he used to, now he just seemed to be both at once. Judging by how happily her nephew waddled back inside, both at once was working out well.

"You didn't RSVP," he told Thalia. "I thought you were at the other end of the world."

"Jason, Jason, Jason…" Thalia said. "You should have figured out that even if I am a couple of hours late, I don't need to RSVP for you to know I'll always come around when something's going on."

* * *

Thalia dropped some flowers on the coffin and with misty eyes said;

"Ever."


End file.
